All Editions Contents
Edition 01 Contents
Welcome to the first edition of the Knowledge Tree. In this edition we aim to: provide a platform for sharing new ideas in flexible learning and leadership; keep learning leaders and practitioners up to date; promote the practice of flexible learning and leadership; and facilitate flexible learning leader networking on a national and international basis.
Peer Reviewed Articles:
§ ‘Beyond W3C: TruVision - Enhanced Online Learning for People Blind Or Vision Impaired’ - Frank Bate writes about accessibility in the design of online learning environments
§ ‘e-magine Online Campus: VET in Schools implementation’ - Mick Chalmers describes the use of a mentoring model to implement change to online delivery (in a VET in Schools context)
§ ‘Considerations for a Digital Repository’ - Ralph Wirski et al. write on digital repositories for learning objects
§ ‘The Evolution of the Flexible Learning Leaders Program’ - Jenny Dodd explores leadership development through storytelling, metaphor and dialogue.
Critique:
§ Kate Fannon raises issues of aging teachers and Peta Pash considers the importance of collaborative assessment in ‘Knowledge Builders - fresh thinking about learners and their teachers’, ANTA 2002
§ Sally Drummond asks why the disadvantage faced by teachers is not mentioned in ‘Access and Equity in Online Learning: Digital Divide’, ANTA, 2001. Download the original papers and the critiques.
Interviews:
§ Cecilie Murray – The Le@rning Federation describes the schools sector’s learning object approach to online content development
§ David Sloane and Scott Milne - Digital Media Access Group, Scotland and Cyndi Rowland – WebAIM, USA discuss approaches to accessibility and learning objects.
§ Sandy Smith and Claire Johnson - The Scottish University for Industry (UFI) - describe successes and learning experiences with LearnDirect.
§ Dr. Rachel Harris - Scottish Centre for Research into Online Learning and Assessment (Scrolla) - discusses her role in the international Online Tutoring Skills Project 2002
Conferences:
§ Access summaries and links to 2002 conferences in flexible learning.
Digital Storytelling:
§ Linda Smart explores her journey to life in TAFE frontiers
From the Branches:
§ Access reports from Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia, Australian Capital Territory on activities in flexible learning during 2002.
Go to Edition 01
Edition 02 Contents
Welcome to the second edition of the Knowledge Tree.
In this bumper edition, we have focused on e-learning as an international business venture, including consideration of the business improvement, partnerships, collaboration, web services and human resource implications required to satisfy such markets.
Peer reviewed articles:
§ Consider current barriers that restrict business improvement in Elizabeth McPherson’s article on ‘How are you Measuring you Teaching Time in Flexible Learning?’
§ Steve Hatch in ‘Network Security: Issues for Online Education’, outlines problems that currently face RTOs trying to communicate and collaborate, with clients and partners.
§ Grapple with Linda Smart’s ‘Validated Individual Learning Pathways’ in a challenging view, from the future, of vocational education in Australia.
§ Leura Cathcart raises some issues to consider in ‘Web Services, Portals and eXtensible Markup Language (XML) - An Organisational Perspective’. She considers how XML Web Services can strengthen knowledge management and communication within educational institutions, while improving services to internal and external clients.
§ ‘E-learning in the WA Schools Sector: Lessons Learnt’ by Jean MacNish and Dr. Sue Trinidad reports on two innovative e-learning and assessment projects undertaken in the Western Australia VET in Schools arena in 2002. They consider the key factors that enhanced or inhibited the success of the e-learning experience in retail training
Critique:
§ Examine how to use e-learning as a business improvement tool, through Lyn Ambrose’s summary of Kaye Schofield’s research into elearning in four large Australian companies.
§ Frankie Forsyth posits systemic, ‘big picture’ implications in her critique of the Australian Flexible Learning (AFL) Framework research into teaching and learning online.
Interviews:
Private Sector Registered Training Organisations (RTO) harness technology:
§ View an interview with Julie Boyd of Multiversity Digital, an educational export broker marketting educational products (including qualifications) internationally. You will be pressed to consider how a broker can help VET sector organisationa to work together and collaborate with other sectors, to service markets way too big for any single Australian RTO/university/school provider.
§ View Bernadette Harris’ (Harris Bromly) reflections on e-learning in workplaces, from the perspective of a small innovative RTO going it alone.
§ View conversations with leaders Peter Robertson, Ken Gooding, Marie Jasinski, Donna Hensley, Vicki Marchant, Brad Beach, Claire Brooks, Leone Wheeler and Carol Hampton about innovation with communities and their collaborations in fee-for-service online facilitation training and virtual team work.
Digital Storytelling:
§ View digital stories by Marlene Manto on online communities, Megan Funston on flexible learning with remote communities and Carole McCulloch on her Flexible Learning Leader journey.
2002 Conferences:
§ Access summaries and links to 2002 conferences in flexible learning.
From the Branches:
§ Access reports from Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia, Australian Capital Territory on activities in flexible learning during 2002.
Go to Edition 02
Edition 03 Contents
Welcome to the third edition of the Knowledge Tree – the e-Journal of Flexible Learning in Vocational Education and Training (VET).
We’ve refocused this, our August 2003 edition, on: innovation in leadership, teaching and learning research; and an improved web presence and knowledge management strategy to encourage greater interaction between leaders in flexible learning.
Peer reviewed articles:
§ Jo Balatti and Martha Goldman outline structural reforms required to improve student outcomes for Indigenous learners.
§ Margaret Barron describes her experiences of intensive role-playing with standard discussion and chat software. Marg’s strong social justice ethic is evident both in her dedication to enervating learning with lifelike experiences and in her generous modelling of ways to use commonly, freely available, tools to do so.
§ Karen Ho discusses learner perceptions of increased quality of learning, but decreased quality of teaching, with greater experience of a range of delivery strategies.
§ Chris Horton and Katie Scholten outline the issues facing regional Australia in the implementation of online learning.
§ Jo Murray explores the development of this ejournal, as an innovation in knowledge management/sharing.
§ Ian Robertson details a snapshot of some links between teaching principles and flexible learning practice.
§ Julie Woodlock calls us to engage in New Explicit Learning/Teaching for Everyone (NELE) to harness difference as a resource.
Critique:
§ Margaret Aspin casts her discerning eyes over the Australian Flexible Learning Framework Registered Training Organisation (RTO) Case Studies.
Learning Object Hot Spot!
§ Rod Savoie of the National Research Council of Canada has kindly critiqued the work of Australian leaders (Tim Hand, Peter Higgs and Sam Meredith) in the learning objects and digital rights management debate. Find out what a LOX is!
Interviews:
§ Vivienne Blanksby and Graeme Brownfield update us on the national Flexible Learning Toolbox initiative
§ Peter Coyne gives an insider’s view of corporate e-learning at Crown Casino.
§ Flexible Learning for Small Business? View presentations by Kathi Eland and Barb McPherson, Flexible Learning Leaders in 2002.
§ Leone Wheeler discusses some recent developments in learning communities. § Martyn Wild talks about a brave new eLearning initiative from AMES Online.
From the Branches:
§ Access state reports from Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria on activities in flexible learning during 2002.
Current Research:
§ View interviews about Applied Research projects with recipients Frank Bate and Linda Smart, Chris Howell, Reece Lamshed, Prue Madsen, Ellie Thompson
§ John Mitchell clearly outlines the real issues and challenges at the nub of the ‘Emerging Futures: Innovation in Teaching and Learning in VET’ research.
2003 Leaders Projects:
§ Over 40 Flexible Learning Leaders were funded in 2003. View a selection of them or download the summary of the whole group and their goals.
Go to Edition 03
Edition 04 Contents
Welcome to the fourth edition of the Knowledge Tree – the e-Journal of Flexible Learning in Vocational Education and Training (VET).
Read on for the latest e-learning practice, research and opinion in Australia.
Peer Reviewed Articles:
§ ‘Blogging to Learn’ - Anne Bartlett-Bragg describes the phenomena of blogging, the process of blogging and how it can be used to enhance learning.
§ ‘Online adventures in the global world of e-learning – the musings of 3 ‘armchair’ cultural explorers’ - Louise Housden, Frankie Forsyth and Christine Bateman discuss cross cultural issues in e-moderation through reflection on their experiences e-convening in international e-moderation courses. Gilly Salmon introduces this article.
§ ‘Watch this space: Developing a music/education partnership’ - Dawn Bennett, Flexible Learning Leader funded in 2003, surfaces the pivotal role communities of practice (CoP) can play in ensuring that education and industry groups plan, teach and assess in partnership as she describes the establishment of the Australian Music Network CoP.
§ ‘Real Time, Real Young, Real Smart.The use of the Internet for real time teaching with 5 to 8 year olds.’ - Megan Hastie and Dr. Allan Palmer provide an inspired and refreshing insight into the possibilities for using information and communication technologies (Netmeeting) for individualised direct instruction in real time with young children. They describe highly motivated students, higher levels of cognitive function, enhanced memorisation of new concepts and an increase in attention span.
§ ‘Developing the Diploma in Human Resources (HR) toolbox’ - Barry Reeves, Sheevaun Gallacher and Kate Robinson describe the experience of developing an online learning resource, which integrates reusable learning objects with a case study, and piloting one unit in the Toolbox with enrolled students.
Critique:
§ Read Frank Bate’s critique of the discussion paper ‘e-Learning: emerging issues and key trends’ by Dr John Eklund, Margaret Kay and Helen M. Lynch, developed to inform the decision making of the Australian Flexible Learning Advisory Group. Frank finds a number of problematic points, particularly the forecasted ‘limited applicability in VET [of the learning object model]’(Eklund Kay et al.:30). The original paper is provided together with the Frank’s critique. What do you think?
From The Branches:
§ View recent activities in Australian States and Territories. Reporters from Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania fill us in. Interviews:
§ View our Feature Interview with Janina Gawler, the new Chief Executive Officer of the Australian National Training Authority. Hear her clear perspective on vocational education and training.
§ Find out how Open Source products like moodle can help you! Michael Chalk’s interest in Open Source systems and learning management platforms lead him to interview Australians working with Open Source. View interviews with Martin Dougiamis (developer of moodle) and Marty Cielens (user of moodle) as part of his Flexible Learning Leader research in 2003.
§ View Alison Gotts outlining new approaches to e-learning professional development (Diploma in E-learning) in the context of the last ten years of flexible learning innovation in vocational education and training
§ View Nola Campbell discussing the application of role plays in e-Learning.
§ View Nola Campbell discussing Open Source Teaching Environments.
Current Research:
§ Update on the Applied Research projects funded under the Policy and Research program of the Australian Flexible Learning Framework with Project Manager Kate Fannon.
§ Read about Innovation and Excellent Practice in VET
§ Follow up the New Practices research projects and hear from:
§ Myree Russell, Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) on Building Communities – Managing Community Content § Barbara Roszkowski, Onkaparinga Institute of TAFE, on Competitive Manufacturing education via a project centred learning strategy
§ Tim Hand, Sam Meredith and Peter Higgs, Open Training and Education Network on a Framework for rights enabled learning object exchange trial
§ Steve Fisher, Centre for Innovation & Development, TAFE Queensland on an XML Educational Tool Suite for Peer-to-Peer Collaborative Learning Environments § Shaun Crispin, Tropical North Queensland TAFE on a Fishing Industry Trial
§ Merv Edmunds, Corangamite District Adult Education Group Inc on Avec Esprit: creating curricula options for improved learning and enhanced work and life prospects for young people § Dorothy Lucardi, Central Australian Remote Health Development Services, on Online Learning for Healthy Communities
§ Pauline De Vries Douglas Mawson Institute of Technology on Port-Ability: Integrated Learning Options, Skilling people, growing business, building community
§ Theo Kavadias and Joan Salmon Holmesglen Institute of TAFE on a Just-In-Time Learning Assistant
Good Practice: The segment outlines good news stories and some highlights of the NET*Working 2003 conference.
Go to Edition 04
Edition 05 Contents
The fifth edition of the Knowledge Tree e-Journal of Flexible Learning in VET features leaders who are exploring ways to provide creative and connecting experiences for learners and who are seeking to transform and sustain their organisations’ abilities to deliver flexible learning. Through innovative approaches to leadership, organisational sustainability, business modelling, knowledge management, pedagogies, multi-literacies, facilitation with new communication technologies, instructional design and strategic and operational organisational change, Australian VET leaders are being recognised, both internationally and within Australian schools and universities, as key thinkers, serious researchers and ‘cutting edge’ practitioners in the steady transformation of learning in vocational settings.
Peer Reviewed Articles:
§ Our Youth. Are they digitally enhanced or not? by Mardi Dwyer
§ Using Safety Nets: flexible learning and operational change by Jennifer Harding
§ Performance = knowledge + learning + use (Clark 2003): the application of knowledge management theory to add practical value to a VET organization by Maureen Sullivan
§ Flying in the VET Sector: Throwing yourself at the ground - and missing! by Sue Goodbourn Non peer reviewed articles:
§ Finding your Voice Online: an enquiry into the use of voice applications in higher education by Michael Coghlan § Implementing e-learning from the corporate perspective by Rita Bennink
§ Return on Investment in using Technology based Simulation in Ambulance Officer Training by Steve Matheson
§ Flexible Libraries: opportunities and strategies for engagement by Leonie Pope
§ Rethinking models of literacy provision for the 21st century by Robyn Jay
§ Opening the LOOP: developing a flexible learning culture in the workplace by Damon Wallace
§ Selling Change: a case study by Graeme Kirkwood Critique
§ ‘RSS blogging and what is means for teaching and learning’ by Michael Chalk, Preston Reservoir Adult and Community Education (ACE)
§ ‘Leadership in VET’ by Jenny Dodd and Phoebe Palmieri § ‘Sustainable VET Leadership’ by Jock Grady
From the branches: State reports from Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland
Interviews:
§ Increasing teacher and learner engagement through creativity with Dr. Stephen Heppell, Ultralab UK
§ A Global Online Support and Content Development Centre for international users with Geoff Elwood, Etechgroup
§ Mentoring in the Flexible Learning Toolboxes initiative with Professor Ron Oliver, Edith Cowan University
§ Multiliteracies in the Online Environment with Christine Sutton
Current Research:
§ A Distributed VET research model for regional Australia Jo Murray interviews Chris Horton and Jock Grady about their ideas for a Distributed Collaborative Research Model for VET in regional Australia.
§ A summary of recent research covers distributed schools, innovative use of communication technologies, outsourcing, partnerships, working laterally, network logic including ‘smart mobs’, VET’s contribution to building social capital and assessment in flexible learning, with links to recent interviews, reports and publications.
Good Practice: This section contains reports, short articles, case studies and exemplars drawn from the Flexible Learning Leaders group.
§ The Sustainable Vocational Education and Training Organisation Mark Landy and Sheila Fitzgerald
§ Increasing the use of e-resources in mainstream teaching and learning by Bryan Ormesher
§ From Ripples to Waves by Sue Hickton
§ Key competencies, employability skills and the new training organisation by Andrea Bartetzko
§ The e-business and e-learning journey of an Adult and Community Education provider.
§ A Proposed Framework for the Instigation of Flexible Learning in a Secondary School Context by Ann-Marie Kelly
§ Empowering individual learning pathways, through whole of life planning, communities of practice and community partnerships by Sharon Rice.
Go to Edition 05
Edition 06 contents
Peer reviewed articles:
Shaping New Practices: Promoting a more culturally led and community inclusive approach to vocational education and training (VET) by Julie Woodlock
Designing for active learning: A conversation by Margaret O’Connell and Umesh Sharma
M-learning in the C21st: benefits for learners by Simon Geddes
Towards Quality and Innovative Teaching Practice: Professional Development for Flexible Learning by Christine Sutton
Non reviewed articles:
Oh behave! Reflecting teachers’ behaviour management practices to teachers by Martha Goldman and Mark Robinson
Facilitation Skills in an Online World by Faye Harris
Is Online Teaching for You? by Kaye Blackburn
Critique: E-learning versus Flexible Learning by Peter Le Cornu
International e-learning: expectations and reality by Megan Funston
From the Branches:
Reports from the Northern Territory, Western Australia Tasmania and South Australia.
Interviews: Communities of Practice in Community Radio with Nicky Page, Radio Adelaide South Australia.
Positive change to blended learning with Lyn Goodear South West TAFE, Victoria.
Anna Henderson, Flexible Learning Leader 2004,
Business Skills Victoria Emma Deutrom, Flexible Learning Leader 2004, Centrelink, Australia
The Learning Edge, Peter Higgs and Chris Jones
Current Research:
Mobile Law and e-Portfolios with Elizabeth Hartnell-Young and Peter Jones
education.au and MOBIlearn Europe with Jon Mason
Egg Boiling and M-learning? with Caryl Oliver
M-learning research, TAFE Tasmania with Marcus Ragus
M-learning in vocational education and training with Julie Collareda
Flexible Learning Leaders 2004 Preview
Applied Research Digibank by Vicki Bates and Paul Genat
Current Research Summary
Good Practice:
Free For Education - The latest innovation for managing your IP– a concept suited to the digital age by Carol Fripp
Teacher ICT Skills Key to Online Benefits for VET in Schools
Ellumination! Team e-moderating helps in live interviews…but how? by Jo Murray
teacherSmart by Julie Collareda.
Go to Edition 06
Special Edition Contents
In this special edition editorial, Jo Murray outlines the achievements of the Flexible Learning Leaders initiative, the 2004 scholarship recipients and the role The Knowledge Tree e-journal in developing greater knowledge sharing and rapid publishing among flexible learning practitioners and researchers in Australian Vocational Education and Training.
Peer reviewed articles:
Stopping and Realising – Managing Emotions Intelligently in Teaching and Learning by Mary Aquino
Leading up, leading down, leading out – the importance of leadership at the middle management level for flexible learning by Malcolm Jolly
Non reviewed articles:
A model of leadership impact to support innovation by Terri Connellan
Effective Use of Technology in Flexible Learning for 15-19 Year Olds by Janine Bowes
Interviews:
Right People! Right Jobs! Right Outcomes! Improving Client Satisfaction with Annette Kirby
Authenticity in learning for disengaged 15-19 year olds with Steve MvVey
Facing Your E-Learning Fears-Success Factors and Tools for Moving Small Organisations into Flexible Learning with Wendy Morrow and Kim Edgar
Engaging Indigenous communities in learning about health through IT/multimedia with Tanya Wooley
Current Research:
The Librarian as Information Coach in Collaborative Delivery Teams with Lucy Hill
Hitting the Right Rocks Right: Innovation and Change Management with Jacqueline Bates
Good Practice:
Australian Flexible Learning Blog and Site Web by Josephine Murray
MARVINTM by the Framework Communications Team
Go to the Special Edition
Edition 07 Contents
In this editorial the changes in management of The Knowledge Tree an e-Journal of Learning Innovation are explained. Under the management of the Vocational Education and Training (VET) E-learning International project of the 2005 Australian Flexible Learning Framework (2005 Framework), The Knowledge Tree is positioned as the journal of the Framework, sharing research and innovation in global e-learning practice.
Edition 7 contains contributions (some international), which explore tensions in the convergence of pedagogy and technology, including both challenges and opportunities.
Lead article:
Ulises Mejias writes on the tensions between pedagogy and social software, about news ways of learning and participating in society in ‘A Nomad’s Guide to Learning and Social Software’.
Critique:
Leigh Blackall critiques how digital literacy, for the use of social software, affects teaching practices in Australian education in ‘Digital literacy: how it affects teaching practices and networked learning futures - a proposal for action research’.
Peer reviewed articles: Chris Brook and Ron Oliver provide ‘A case study of community development in online settings’
Cecilie Murray writes on M-learning and New Students’ Thinking.
Mark Nichols looks at the strategic balancing act required to manage organisational responses to e-learning in ‘Tensions in the Convergence of Technology and Pedagogy’.
Diane Newton and Allan Ellis consider ‘The influence of organisational culture on e-learning design in the Australian Army’
Margaret O’Connell and Ralph Hampson consider the internationalisation of curricula and intentionally seek to incorporate cultural difference in e-learning experiences in ‘A meeting of minds: Blurring international boundaries in a postgraduate Social Work course’.
Non peer reviewed articles:
Howard Errey reports on the introduction of online counselling into student support services in ‘How r u Howard? 
A report on Online Counselling Practice in Education’
Lisa Wait outlines the pedagogical tensions and different design approaches required to develop and package e-learning resources for different uses in ‘Maintaining a comprehensive problem-based learning environment while implementing SCORM and IMS’.
Interviews:
On the business of e-learning, Lisa Vincent and Barry Gordon discuss collaborative responses to content development in ‘A Savv-e Solution: the Elearning Network of Australasia’.
Brad Beach shares models for staffing and costing flexible learning in ‘How can it actually work? Staffing flexible learning: Human Resource (HR) and Industrial relations (IR) tensions in the convergence of pedagogy and technology’.
Prue Mellor outlines her creative ‘offshore’ response to addressing Australia’s skills shortage in ‘Aged Care training in Bangladesh’.
Current Research
Our Current Research selection includes a range of interesting web logs, sharing ideas and approaches to learning innovation.
Go to Edition 07
Edition 8 Contents
Edition 08 focuses on ‘Tensions in the convergence of e-learning and e-business’, including the role of improvisation and shifting leadership in the management of global business projects, the relevance of social software for e-business in the age of connectivism, how businesses use and can use e-learning, and how it is perceived as a business.
Industry-focussed video interviews offer insights on enterprise-institution partnerships, the e-business supply chain, new directions in mobile learning, induction by e-learning and practical approaches to e-learning.
Articles question when social communication in corporate e-learning is necessary, investigate the gap in e-learning readiness between enterprises and training organisations, challenge the need for flashy multimedia and reflect on networking as a driver of e-learning.
Lead Article Professor Ann Majchrzak, and colleagues from the University of Southern California, consider the role of improvisation and shifting leadership in the management of global business projects, in the lead article, ‘Managing Emergent Work: Revisiting Jazz Lessons’.
Peer reviewed articles
Frank Bate and Dr. Carol Steketee discuss social communication in corporate e-learning in ‘Social Communication in Corporate E-learning: When is it Necessary?’
Jennifer Dunbabin and Graham Walsh investigate the gap in e-learning readiness between enterprises and training organisations in ‘E-business and E-learning Coalescence: Opportunities and Challenges’.
Non reviewed articles
Michael Coghlan commentates on ‘Social Software: The Relevance for E-business’ (in a timesaving podcast format).
Marlene Manto challenges the need for flashy multimedia in ‘Flash & Fantastic vs Flawed but Fast’
Carole McCulloch reflects on e-learning networks in ‘Networking: A Driver of E-learning’.
Interviews Dr. Marcus Bowles offer insights in ‘The E-business Supply Chain’.
Dr. Neville Higgins opines on the e-business-e-learning nexus in and practical approaches in the ‘Practical guide to e-learning for industry’
Barb McPherson reports on induction by e-learning in ‘E-learning: What’s in it for Industry?’
Caryl Oliver ponders new directions in mobile learning in ‘E-business and Mobile Learning’
Professor Dr Martin Valcke updates on European corporate-education partnerships in ‘Enterprising Institutions: Creating Relevancy for Industry’.
Current Research
This section features a selection of useful e-business RSS feeds.
Critique
E-learning strategist Margaret O’Connell critiques how businesses use and can use e-learning, and how it is perceived as a business in ‘Learning from Business’.
Go to Edition 8
Edition 9 contents
Edition 9 focuses on social networking and mobile learning, moving the e-journal into the blogosphere through the use of social software and RSS technology.
Joanne Jacobs, seconded from the Brisbane Graduate School of Business, at Queensland University of Technology to project manage collaborative projects, research and commercialisation at the Australasian Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Interaction Design, writes our lead article ‘The Knowledge Tree Goes Social’ on the impact of blogging and social software on education, publishing and play.
Dr. Michael Thomas, Associate Professor at Nagoya University of Commerce and Business in Japan reviews mLearning: Mobile Learning and Performance in the Palm of your Hand by David Metcalf.
In our peer reviewed article ‘Surveying Online Technology: A matter of design’, Ian Robertson, of Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, considers the extent to which Vocational and Technical Education (VTE) teachers use 21 identified e-learning functionalities.
James Farmer of Deakin University, clarifies the benefits of using social software, eg. Word Press, for educational purposes, providing examples from Edublogs.org and The Knowledge Tree in ‘Why blog together?’
Marcus Ragus of TAFE Tasmania, considers the future of m-learning with his latest ‘round up’ of teaching ideas, tools and trends since mLearn 2005 in South Africa in ‘Mlearning: A future of learning’.
Margaret Robson, of Canberra Institute of Technology, discusses strategies to assist adult learners to find their voices online and feel that their contributions are heard and valued in ‘Finding your voice online’.
Go to Edition 9
Edition 10 Contents
The impact of podcasting and voice technologies on global e-learning practice is the focus of Edition 10.
Nagoya University of Commerce and Business Associate Professor Dr Michael Thomas, presents the lead article iPods in Education: Innovations in the Implementation of Mobile Assisted Learning. The article examines the latest developments in iPod implementation and looks at how the technology has developed and its future potential.
Tasmanian teacher and professional development mentor Donelle Batty describes her busy life supplementing mainstream school curriculum offerings, through the Distance Education Online Campus. She facilitates blended learning in Child Studies, VTE Children’s Services and Gifted and Talented programs to students, aged 11 to adult, distributed across 14 schools.
Stephan Ridgway discusses innovations in podcasting and vlogging for teacher development and learner engagement.
TAFE South Australia’s Jim Plummer write a non- reviewed article describing ‘podvocation’ strategies for shifting time and bending space, to increase student engagement in Environmental Management.
Go to Edition 10.
Edition 11
The main focus of edition 11 is looking at what it means to be in community on the Web, that is, examining what is community or communion, the structures being used to create Web communities, the types of communities that are emerging, the processes used to facilitate online communities, the relationships being formed within Web communities and the uses of Web communities in education.
Nancy White, an internationally renown e-facilitation and e-community specialist begins an exploration into blogging and its impact on community on the Web in ‘Blogging and Community: launching a new paradigm for online community?’.
‘Blogging at the Chalkface’ by Alison Gotts from Cape Tribulation, Queensland, Australia, is a personal, ‘down to earth’ account of blogging as a teaching practice in an online environment.The article is a practical, reflective analysis of using blogs with Diploma of E-learning participants over three years, including impacts, strategies and a checklist for action.
Jenny Ashby founder of the Bendigo Education Apple Users’ Team (BEAUT) in ‘Thinking Beyond Pen and Paper’ considers the place of podcasting in primary schooling and the implications of such teaching strategies for teacher professional development.
Leo Gaggl in ‘Moodling while mobile’ outlines research his company Bright Cookie is conducting in the converging world of m-learning applications, games based interfaces and learning management systems.
Ian Robertson provides a review of the recent publication M-learning: A handbook for educators and trainers by Kukulsa-Hulme and Traxler, 2005.
Go to Edition 11
Edition 12
Welcome to Connecting with learners, the final edition of The Knowledge Tree for 2006.
In this edition contributions focus on how technologies eg. blogs and processes eg. reflection, shape teachers and through teachers their learners. Contributions cover: the use of technology to enable reflection, creating culturally inclusive curriculum through constructive self critique, the creation of more enabling social, relational use of Web 2.0 and mobile technologies for learning, the improvement of access for rural learners and the development of the digital literacies required by teachers (as learners) and by their students.
The lead article ‘Technology shaping learner dispositions’ has Michigan based teacher education academics Sean and Paula Lancaster focusing on changing dispositions of preservice and inservice teachers through a range of processes, for example modelling, and blogging as a reflective tool.
Julie Woodlock’s presents ‘When tensions lead to change…’, on the nexus of Indigenous Standpoint Theory (Nakata 2002) and Miller’s (2005) critical factors for flexible delivery.
Leonard Low in ‘Connections: Social and mobile tools for enhancing learning’ considers ways to connect learning, literacies and technologies (e.g. mobile devices and Web 2.0 tools) with which young people are becoming very comfortable, through facilitating social and connected learning practices.
Terry Marler, Jean Tilleyshort, Stanley Frielick and Margaret Granger, in a New Zealand-Australian distributed collaboration, conduct a open conversation around ‘Supporting rural learners now and in the future’.
The book review of Martin and Madigan’s (2006) Digital Literacies for Learning, summarises the main theme, i.e. how to equip teachers and students to be digitally involved. The volume presents a series of chapters on the latest concepts and case studies in digital literacies in learner centred environments.
Go to Edition 12
Edition 13: Find out what’s happening in the changed spaces and practices of teaching and learning in From the fringe.
Lead Article: danah boyd - Social Network Sites: Public, Private, or What?
Peer reviewed article - Using Cellphones for Occupational Therapy Work Placement Support.
Book review - George Siemens’ Knowing Knowledge 2006 by Mark Landy
Wallace Galloway - Designing Multimedia to Improve the Speaking Skills of Second Language Learners.
Panel discussion - Open complementing closed - PLE and LMS -why, what for and how?
SoapBox: Janet Hawtin tells it straight on the Open Source movement and Software Freedom Day
Go to Edition 13: From the Fringe.
Edition 14 - Connecting intelligence - considers how connecting intelligence using Web 2.0 tools can increase organisational learning and workplace transformation
Interview: New E-learning with Jane Hart, of Jane’s E-Learning Pick of the Day
Panel discussion - Virtual life learning
Edition 15 Making Ground shares what learners are achieving as educators transform their practice, through social, ‘participatory’ media (Rheingold 2007).
Article: Howard Vickers - SurReal Quests: Enriched purposeful language learning in Second Life
Digital Story: Rupert Owen and Jobseekers - Blog for the Dole
SoapBox: Sue Waters and friends Twitter
Further editions of The Knowledge Tree may be published in 2008. Please consider contributing. Click to view our Call for contributions or contact the editor.
We look forward to hearing your ideas.
Visit The Knowledge Tree at http://flexiblelearning.net.au/knowledgetree
